Lens Unit, Aligning Method, Image Pickup Device and Method for Manufacturing Image Pickup Device

Abstract

Provided is a lens unit ( 3 ) wherein a plurality of wafer lenses ( 10, 20 ) are layered and covered by cover package ( 30 ). In each of wafer lenses ( 10, 20 ), resin molded sections ( 14, 16, 24, 26 ) are formed on a glass substrate ( 12, 22 ), and a lens section ( 14 a , 16 a , 24 a , 26 a ) is formed on a part of the resin molded section ( 14, 16, 24, 26 ). A sloped section ( 14 e ) formed around the lens section ( 14 a ) arranged closest to the object side in the lens unit ( 3 ) and an end section ( 32 a ) forming an opening section of the cover package ( 30 ) are fitted with each other.

1 . A lens unit comprising:
 a plurality of layered wafer lenses in each of which a resin molded section is formed on a glass substrate and a lens section is formed on a part of the resin molded section; and   a packaging member covering the lens unit from an outside and comprising an opening section through which light enters the lens sections,   wherein a first lens section is formed closest to an object side in the lens unit, and   a resin molded section located around the first lens section forms a protrusion which protrudes toward the object side,   the protrusion comprises a slope section formed such that a diameter of a side surface of the protrusion opposite to the first lens section increases toward an image side, and   the opening section of the packaging member comprises a sloped opening section fitting with the slope section.   
     
     
         2 . The lens unit of  claim 1  comprising in order from the object side:
 a first wafer lens comprising
 the first lens section including a convex surface which faces the object side, and formed on a part of a resin molded section, 
 a first glass substrate, and 
 a second lens section formed at a position across the first glass substrate from the first lens section, comprising a concave surface which faces an image side, and formed on a part of a resin molded section; and 
 
 a second wafer lens comprising
 a third lens section comprising a concave surface which faces the object side, and formed on a part of a resin molded section bonded to the resin molded section on which the second lens section of the first wafer lens is formed, 
 a second glass substrate, and 
 a fourth lens section formed at a position across the second glass substrate from the third lens section and formed on a part of a resin molded section. 
 
 
     
     
         3 . The lens unit of  claim 1   wherein the protrusion is formed in a ring shape when viewed from the object side of the first lens section along an optical axis.   
     
     
         4 . The lens unit of  claim 3   wherein the protrusion comprises a first slope section formed such that a diameter of a side surface of the protrusion facing the first lens section increases toward the object side.   
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The lens unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the resin molded section on which the first lens section is formed, is formed on a surface of a first glass substrate, and   a stop member is formed on the surface of the first glass substrate to be located between the surface of the first glass substrate and the resin molded section.   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The lens unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first lens section has a convex shape and a highest portion of the slope section is higher than the first lens section.   
     
     
         10 . An image pickup device comprising:
 the lens unit of  claim 1 ;   and   a sensor unit in which a light-receiving sensor is arranged on one surface of a substrate with keeping a predetermined distance from a wafer lens closest to an image side among the wafer lenses.   
     
     
         11 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The image pickup device of  claim 10   wherein an optical axis of the lens unit and an optical axis of the light-receiving sensor of the sensor unit coincide with each other.   
     
     
         16 . The image pickup device of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a spacer substrate arranged at a position closer the image side than any one of the plurality of wafer lenses, comprising an opening section at a position corresponding to the lens sections formed in the plurality of wafer lenses, 
 wherein the sensor unit comprises a cover member connected with an opposite end of the spacer substrate from the plurality of wafer lenses, and 
 the light-receiving sensor is arranged on one surface of the substrate with keeping a predetermined distance from the packaging member. 
 
     
     
         17 .- 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The lens unit of  claim 3 ,
 wherein an edge of the opening section of the packaging member is located around the protrusion.   
     
     
         26 . The lens unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the protrusion protrudes more than the first lens section toward the object side.   
     
     
         27 . The lens unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the lens unit is formed by layering and jointing a plurality of wafer lens arrays in each of which a plurality of molded sections are formed on a glass substrate, and by cutting the wafer lens arrays into individual pieces of the lens units.   
     
     
         28 . The lens unit of  claim 1 ,
 wherein an external form of the lens unit has a rectangular shape when viewed along the optical axis direction.   
     
     
         29 . A method for manufacturing a lens unit comprising: a plurality of layered wafer lenses in each of which a resin molded section is formed on a glass substrate and a lens section is formed on a part of the resin molded section; and a packaging member covering the lens unit from an outside and comprising an opening section through which light enters the lens sections, the method comprising:
 preparing the layered wafer lenses wherein a first lens section is formed closest to an object side in the lens unit and a resin molded section located around the first lens section forms a protrusion which protrudes toward the object side, the protrusion comprising a slope section formed such that a diameter of a side surface of the protrusion opposite to the first lens section increases toward an image side; and   fitting a sloped opening section formed in the opening section of the packaging member with the slope section.   
     
     
         30 . The method for manufacturing the lens unit of  claim 29 , comprising:
 preparing a first wafer lens array comprising a first glass substrate, a plurality of resin lens sections formed on the first glass substrate and the protrusions including the slope sections and arranged around the lens sections, and a second wafer lens array comprising a second glass substrate and a plurality of resin lens sections formed on the second glass substrate; and   layering and jointing the first lens array and the second lens array such that the slope sections are exposed outside,   cutting the jointed first and second lens arrays to form an individual lens unit, and   fitting the sloped opening section formed in the opening section of the packing member with the slope section.